Support in your first year as a social worker: New from Social Care TV

27 March 2014

Social Care TV: Reality TV at its best

Social workers’ jobs are complex. They need to develop skills, knowledge and professional competence. During their first year in practice Social workers will face many challenges, but will achieve just as many rewards. This is known as the assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE).

A new film, launched today on Social Care TV, shows how effective a good ASYE can be for social workers and their employers. The film was made in collaboration with Skills for Care and The College of Social Work. Social Care TV, from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), bring the topics alive through the stories of people who use services, their families, friends, and staff who support them.

Case study: Brent

The film highlights the work of Brent children’s services in London. Central to the ASYE programme is a focus on one-to-one supervision; supervisors look at workload management, but they make sure they factor in time for reflection, in order to develop social workers’ practice. Newly qualified social workers in Brent are given the space to consider all aspects of their practice and personal development.

Laura Deane, a newly qualified social worker in the borough, says on the film that at first she worried that would feel she was being watched. However, she soon realised that it doesn’t feel like that at all. She says she appreciates the time she has to ask questions and explore the work she does. Laura’s supervisor, Norene Owusuh, says it’s important to provide Laura with support on how to learn on the job and to develop emotional resilience.

Professional Advisor at The College of Social Work, Anne Mercer says:

ASYE is designed to ensure that during their first year of employment, newly qualified social workers are able to gain the professional skills and confidence required to establish their careers and reinforce effective working and best practice. It is crucial that social workers start their professional lives in a structured and supported environment provided by ASYE. The College is pleased to support the programme by providing standards on its implementation through our Professional Capabilities Framework and certification for social workers who successfully complete their ASYE.

Skills for Care’s programme head, Graham Woodham says:

We know a Newly Qualified Social Worker’s first year in employment is vital in establishing quality practice, so the ASYE programme, provided through their employers, gives them and their manager or supervisor time to critically reflect on, and assess, their progress and to share experiences.

SCIE’s Chief Executive Tony Hunter says:

As a social worker by profession, I know the value that this sort of approach can take. Newly qualified social workers need good managers who support them by nurturing talent and mentoring them to get the best results. The film shows how ASYE is being embraced in Brent and it’s good to see that time is set aside to make sure that social workers are properly supported as they branch out on their new careers.

Skills for Care conference

The film’s launched at the Skills for Care annual conference in Birmingham today. SCIE is sponsoring the category ‘Best employer of Assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE)’ at the accolade awards tonight.

Also at the conference, SCIE are announcing that Social Care TV is being updated to fully support social care workers’ learning and development. Launched in 2009, Social Care TV is the online channel created to show the work and lives of people involved in social care. Many of the 120 films in the catalogue have now been reviewed and updated, to focus more on learning and development needs. They include learning points, written in plain English, as part of staff member’s continued professional development so that they can keep on improving the lives of people who use services.

The assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE)

The ASYE scheme ensures that NQSWs begin their professional lives in a structured and supported environment: the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) clearly sets out what is expected of social workers at this level and how their careers can progress thereafter. Central to the ASYE programme is one-to-one supervision; a combination of workload management and time for reflection in order to develop in and through practice.

Award winning Social Care TV

Social Care TV is a free online channel with over 120 films that brings to life the work and lives of people involved in all aspects of the social care. Social care TV is ideal to use in training as the film are less than 10 minutes long. New features included latest films being mapped to the Qualifications and credit framework (QCF). Films focus on supervision, integration of health and social care, dementia, dignity, mental capacity, safeguarding adults and children, personalisation and many other issues.

About SCIE

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) improves the lives of people who use care services by sharing knowledge about what works. We are an independent charity working with adults, families and children's social care and social work services across the UK. We also work closely with related services such as health care and housing.